The Gay Thing: Texas Continues Assault on Gay People (and the Constitution)

It's no secret that the climate for liberalism in general and gay people in particular is not a friendly one. You could set a Google Alert containing the words "anti-gay" and "Texas," and you'd likely get news just about every day. But it is difficult to take seriously when you see stories like this one.



Cletus McGoober Cecil Bell

Here, you have state legislators passing laws that are clearly unconstitutional, and ridiculous on their face. They wear their animus completely openly, right up front. And the man leading the charge looks like a cartoonish villain, straight out of a B movie. Cecil Bell is his name, and even that sounds invented. "All hat, no cattle" seems to have been invented for him as well.

I'm sorry for my Texan gay friends and family that you have to put up with these indignities. But at least they give it to you with huge doses of comedy.

[Excerpt]

Texas Lawmakers Advance 'Pastor Protection Act,' Continue Full-Fledged Assault On Same-Sex Marriage

Last week, we told you how witnesses compared same-sex marriage to bestiality and pedophilia when they testified in support of a bill that would prevent churches and pastors from being forced to participate in gay weddings. On Monday, the Texas Senate responded by advancing the bill in a 21-10 vote, with one Democrat joining the chamber's 20 Republicans. . .

Read more at: Towleroad

Texas Voter ID Law Nearly Prevents Judge from Voting

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: the idea that ID might be required to vote sounds perfectly fine and reasonable. I can't conceive of going through my daily life without an ID in my wallet. So, when people get exasperated with people objecting to the idea that ID should be required, I do get it. But I wish they'd just think about it a little bit. Delve a little deeper than the obvious, and maybe do a little reading about it.

I know that's not the first instinct when you draw an initial conclusion that seems to make sense. But when you find out that in-person voter fraud is almost non-existent, and yet in state after state, Voter ID laws (with a whole list of attendant voting restrictions) keep getting enacted as though there is some sort of problem. As Colin Powell said, voter fraud can't be both widespread AND undetected. It just doesn't make sense.

So, it stands to reason that if tough legislation around a treasured, fundamental right is sweeping from state to state, you have to ask why. And if the laws seem to continually affect the same groups of people, it's not too hard to put together a theory. These laws are being enacted to have an effect on final vote tallies. It's not a nutty, out-of-left-field conclusion. Especially when you get to this Texas law, that cracks down on women. The Texas driver's license for married women has their maiden name as their middle name, but if it doesn't match their actual middle name on other documents, they can't vote? And they have to produce their original marriage license to set it right? Hmmmm.

Now, what's going on in Texas right now? Could there be a popular lady running for Governor that the GOP establishment might want to kneecap? Wouldn't making it hard for women to vote cut into her base quite a bit? See, not crazy.

[Excerpt]

Texas Judge Almost Blocked From Voting Because Of New Voter ID Law

A Texas district judge who has been voting for the past five decades was almost barred from the polls Tuesday, thanks to the state’s newly implemented, stricter voter ID law. The law kicked in on Tuesday as early voting in Texas’ November 5 election began. . .

Read more at: Think Progress